President Donald Trump is promising "quite a scene" when three Korean Americans detained in North Korea return to the mainland US after more than a year in prison, their freedom a bonus from the warming of relations between the longtime adversaries.
Despite a middle-of-the-night landing today at the Washington-area Joint Base Andrews, Trump and his wife plan to celebrate in person when the freed men arrive.
The men, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, were released yesterday as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left Pyongyang after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid final plans for a Trump-Kim summit.
The Americans had boarded Pompeo's plane out of North Korea without assistance and then transferred in Japan to a Boeing C-40 outfitted with medical facilities for the trip back to the US.
Shortly after they touched down on American soil in Alaska for a refuelling stop yesterday afternoon the State Department released a statement from the freed men.
"We would like to express our deep appreciation to the United States government, President Trump, Secretary Pompeo, and the people of the United States for bringing us home," they said.
"We thank God, and all our families and friends who prayed for us and for our return. God Bless America, the greatest nation in the world."
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